


Run, Run Lost Boy

by JustYourAverageSlytherin



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Davey and Jack are in love, F/M, Gen, Kind of a slow burn, M/M, the movie but really gay and very inaccurate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24331192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustYourAverageSlytherin/pseuds/JustYourAverageSlytherin
Summary: The Newsies Movie but really gayOrDavid and Jack find each other in the most unexpected place and fall in love once, twice and maybe three times for good measure
Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly, Spot Conlon/Racetrack Higgins
Comments: 14
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I haven’t written anything in a long time, I sort of have a plan for this I sort of don’t but I plan on finishing this! I hope you like it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes the best things in life crash into you. Literally.

Jack awoke suddenly to a sharp shove and a terribly loud voice assaulting his ears. You know, just the way he wants to start his morning. He groaned into his lumpy, flat pillow and tried to block out as much noise as he possibly could, ignoring the scorching sunlight coming through he windows and searing his eyelids. 

“Up! Time to get up!”  
  
The sharp shove came again, and this time Jack rolled over with a groan, and cracked open his eyes. “Ay, wassa madda wid you?” His accent was always so much worse in the morning, and it wasn’t helping that is was _early_ morning either.   
  
“What’s the matta with me? What the matta with you?” 

“Get away from me,” Jack whined. “Are ya mad?” The old man chuckled at his, shoving him once again before moving on to a peacefully sleeping Crutchie. 

Jack contemplated sleep again, barely being able to keep his eyes open, but when he heard an outraged cry of “That’s my cigar!” From Race, he knew he had to get up, lest everything descend into chaos.

“Hey Jack, howdya sleep?” Mush asked, _way_ too loudly.   
  
“On me back Mush.” Jack mumbled, tightening his trousers. Mush laughed, and started poking him in the sides. “Hey fellas did ya hear that? I asked Jack how he slept, and he said ‘on me back, Mush’.” Jack shoved Mush, who was cracking up at his own joke, before Crutchie pulled him aside.

“Hey Jack, when I walk does it look like I’m fakin’ it?”  
Jack frowned at the question, “No of course not, who says ya fakin’ it?”

“It’s just there’s so many fake crips out on the street, we real ones don’t stand a chance,” he sighed. “I need to switch up my selling route. Less people who woulda seen me before.”

They had traveled over to the sinks, where Mush piped in with a “Try the Harbor!” Jack threw his shaving cream at him in response, Mush sputtering as Blink stated that any banker or barber would know how to read.   
Getting ready in the tight and packed lodging house was like getting a horse to learn how to read. There’s usually lots of shouting, frustration, and possible violence. While Jack was tying his red bandana around his neck, he was almost tackled to the floor when Race tried to hug him. “So. Cowboy. Girl last night. Spill.”

Jack just shook his head and smiled. “Nothin to spill, Racer.” Jack had met this pretty girl selling on the streets, and while he very much enjoyed her... _presence_ , she didn’t satisfy Jack or intrigue him in anyway. Not that any of the Newsies needed to know that. Race rolled his eyes in response, and took his cigar out of his mouth. “Oh Cmon, Kelly! How was she?”

Someone wolf - whistled from that back of the room, and Jack flipped them off, laughing. He put on his standard smirk and replied, “Well... she was quite something... But dats nonya business!” Race slapped the back of his head with his hat, or attempted to as Jack skirted out of his reach. “Always the scoundrel, Cowboy.” 

Finally Jack managed to squeeze past all the elbows and crowded beds, and stepped out of the lodging house. His nose was immediately assaulted by the quite.... _fresh_ air of New York City in mid summer. It was always the worse at this time but thankfully it was early enough so that not many people were out to worsen the putrid smell. The group of Newsies quickly followed him out the door and spread out amongst the streets, and as Jack watched them, his heart swelled. He decided this was his favorite thing about being a Newsie. No family waiting up for you, no school tying you down. You work for yourself, and the other Newsies. You know they got your back and you got theirs. No obligations besides selling as much as you can to anyone who will buy. It’s freeing.

As the Newsies all collected their breakfast of someone else’s left - overs, they slowly made their way to the great green gates where they all collected their papers. However, trouble couldn’t stay away, and unfortunately that means it took form in the worst way possible. The Delancey brothers appeared, shoving threw the Newsies, dramatically. All the Newsies, especially Jack, hated these two with a passion.

As they got closer, Race started to gag, pretending to be sick. “ _Wow_ ,” he gasped dramatically as the other Newsies snickered. “What is that unpleasant aroma? I fear the sewer backed up in the night.”

”No, no, no, it’s too rotten to be the sewers,” Boots taunted.  
“It must be da _Delancey_ bruddas.” Crutchie snorted as all the Newsies giggled at the ground, both brothers glaring at he group.  
  
“Hiya boys,” Race said smugly as he put his cigar back in his mouth and hands in his pockets. Both the brothers narrowed their eyes as Morris, the creepier of the two, crossed his arms in front of his chest in an attempt to look intimidating. All of a sudden, Oscar grabbed one of the smaller Newsies and threw him to the floor. 

“In the back you lousy shrimp.”

Race sighed. “You shouldn’t do that, not good. Not healthy.” The Newsies chuckled once again. Jack rolled his eyes and stepped forward.

“You shouldn’t call people lousy shrimps unless ya referring to the family _resemblance_ between you and ya brudda here.”

Both brothers stared angrily at Jack, and he wondered if they even processed what he said. “That’s right,” Jack leaned forward and got into Morris’s face. “That was an insult.” He suddenly grinned. “And so is this!” He reached out and snatched Morris’s hat, all the Newsies laughing as Jack turned on his heels and started running, the two brothers right behind him.

Jack ran down the street, arms and legs pumping as the two morons followed behind. He saw a bright red buggy sitting on the side of the dirty street and just as the two reached out to grab him, he slid under the structure and rolled to the other side. He immediately jumped up on an overhang, hoisting his feet so when the two brothers came barreling at him, he swung his body down, hitting them square in the face with his shoes.   
He laughed as the Newsies cheered, but immediately booked it when they started getting up again. “Come and get it, Delancey’s! You can suck my ever loving - ow!” 

Jack cried out in pain as he ran smack dab into another boy, who also yelled in protest as his arm was yanked back. Jack turned around to steady the stranger, and found himself looking into the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen. 

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”

Jack takes it back, the _angriest_ blue eyes he had ever seen. 

“Uh,” Jack says intelligently. “Runnin’!” His brain decided to reply, and that probably wasn’t the best considering he owed the boy an apology. Unfortunately, he didn’t say that because once his brain was set on a command, his body tended to follow, so immediately he turned and ran away. Jack spared a look backwards as the Delancey brothers also crashed into the blue eyed boy, and snickered at his incredulous expression. 

David looked down at his younger brother Les, who was asking if he was alright. He could barely hear it over the commotion of the crowd of boys. David assumed they were Newsies, as they had the standard hats and bags. They were all screaming and calling out to the first boy who ran into him. They had all formed a circle right outside the green gates, and he heard them taunting the other two boys who had ran after the first.

The boy who had knocked his shoulder had bronze hair that was slightly overgrown. When he pushed it back however, David saw a wide smile and bright eyes.  
David pulled Les closer to him as they got near the circle, however Les tugged away from him, once again yanking David’s arm. He immediately started after Les, groaning because he always was impulsive, and he could get seriously hurt in there. He did not need to explain that to his mother. The mob however, broke apart as he got close and saw the boy with the bronze hair and bright eyes climbing the gates. 

Someone shouted “Get em’ cowboy!” And David thought that was a strange nickname for someone who lived in New York. _Who is he?_ David wondered, staring at him climbing higher. He was snapped out of this thoughts however, when the crowd surged forward and pulled him through. He tightened his grip on Les, making sure his brother was still there and not a trampled ten year old.

He _definitely_ didn’t need to explain that to his mother. 

“ _Oh Weasel..._ ” Jack called out as he rang the bell hanging from a post quite loudly. “Did ya miss me?”   
  
An ugly middle aged man appeared from behind the bars. “I told you a million times, the names _Wiesel_ , Mista Wiesel.” Jack wasn’t listening in the slightest however, and grabbed a newspaper from behind the metal bars. 

“Kelly, put it back.”

Jack looked up from skimming through the pages. “Don’t rush me, I’m just crusin’ the merchandise, _Mista Weasel.”_ The boys behind him snickered slightly at the jest. Jack turned back around and told the man to give him the usual, walking away so the other boys could have a go at him before collecting their papes. 

“Cowboy, did ya hear?“ Race said to him. “There was a baby born with two heads... must be from Brooklyn.” They both laughed at this, skimming through all the continuously boring headlines. 

David finally reached the counter where....Weasel? (Was that what they called him?) Was standing. “Twenty papes please.” He couldn’t help but be polite even after the man, from what David had observed, was continuously rude. After all, his mother was very strict, and very Jewish. However, when he got the stack of papes, he didn’t move, but instead counted them. He did so quickly but Weasel raised his eyebrow in impatience.   
  
”Kid, ya got ya papes, now beat it.”

David raised an eyebrow in return. “I paid for twenty, I only got nineteen.” That statement caused the noise between the Newsies to decrease, and David immediately regretted the words out of his mouth. 

”Are you accusing me of _lying?”_ Weasel asked loudly, drawing more attention to David than he would like.

”No, I just want my paper.” 

Jack looked up at the commotion of Weasel yelling, and saw a kid he hadn’t seen before standing at the counter. He sighed inwardly. He got up and slung an arm around the boy. The boy jumped a little bit and turned his head to Jack. And _oh._ Jack had to do a double take because it was the blue eyed boy from earlier, and now those eyes are trained right on him and he felt his face starting to heat up. 

Thankfully he manages to keep his cool as he counts the papes. “Nah, he’s right Weasel, there’s only nineteen.” He tested his luck and leaned closer to the blue eyed boy, smirking. “But don’t worry about it,” he continued. “It’s an honest mistake, I mean Morris here, can’t count to twenty with his shoes on.” 

Morris, from behind the bars lunged and tried to grab Jack, but Jack was quick and leaped back. David realized it was the bronze haired boy, and tried to keep his calm, but found instead, he getting irrationally iratated.He knew there was no reason to get worked up, but something about this _cowboy_ bothered him. The cocky boy turned around and said to one of the others, “Hey Race will ya spot me two bits?” The boy, Race, grinned and tossed a coin, which the cowboy caught with ease. 

“Anotha fifty for my.. _friend_ here.” _Now_ David was angry. He didn’t need this boys charity, he could handle himself, thank you very much.   
  
“What? No, I don’t want another fifty.” The boy escaped from underneath Jacks arm, and glared at him. Jack tried not to be too irked by this boys behavior, and no matter how pretty his eyes were, he was being rude. So instead he forced a smirk and said, “sure ya do, every Newsie wants more papes.” Jack walked down towards Race again, shoving the stack of papes at the boys chest. 

”I don’t want your papes.” He said, following him down. “I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care to.” Les decided in that moment to be _so_ very helpful and say “they call him cowboy!” Jack looked down at Les and smiled. “Well yeah, that and other things, including Jack Kelly. What’d they call you kid?” 

“I’m Les, and this is my brother David.” Jack looked from Les to David and smirked. 

“Nice ta meet ya Davey” Jack said. David glared at the slightly taller boy.

“It’s David.”

“Okay, Davey,” Jack said again, grinning as the boy scoffed slightly. 

“So Les, how old are ya?” Jack asked, turning his attention on the younger. He found these two absolutely adorable, mostly on Les’s part because Davey’s eyes were doing a lot to him, and it was throwing him off.   
  
“I’m near ten!” Les said proudly. “David is older though.”

Jack laughed, “Yeah, no kidding. From now on Les, you aren’t ten. If anybody asks, you’re seven. Sells more papes that way, as selling partners that’ll -“

”Woah, who said anything about partners?” David interrupts. He couldn’t believe this guy! He didn’t even ask for him to pay for more papes and now he has to sell with him?

”Well you owe me two bits right?”

David shrugged slightly and looked away. _Damn it._ Jack’s smirk got wider at this and David flushed pink. Jack decided for whatever reason he loved ruffling Davey’s feathers already.   
“I’ll consider it an investment, we sell together, we split... seventy - thirty, _plus,_ you get the benefit of observing me, no charge.” Some of the boys laughed lightly at that, and Jack grinned at David smugly.

David laughed dryly at that, and Jack mocked him, doing the same. David glared as he once again felt heat creeping on his cheeks. The boy with the crutch (David thinks they call him Crutchie but he doesn’t want to be rude) tapped him on the shoulder. “You’re getting the chance of a lifetime Dave, you learn from Jack, you learn from the best.” At that moment Jack turned around to Mush, as if to say _can you believe this guy,_ but instead a smile took over his face, and Mush was the one to raise both his eyebrows in question. 

David felt anger course through him. “Well if he’s so good then why does he need me?” He could sense he was being irrationally angry, but god this boy riled him up in a way no body has before, and he doesn’t even know him!

At his question Jack turned around and stepped closer to him, but Davey refused to back up, instead jutting his chin out in defiance. He swore he saw Jack flush a little bit, but decided to ignore it. “I _don’t_ need you. But I don’t gotta little brudda like you either.” Jack reached down to pat Les on the head. “With this kid,” Jack continued, “and my God - given talent, we could sell a thousand papes a week and not break a sweat.” He looked back down at Les.

”So wad ya say kid? Wanna sell for me?” Les lit up in excitement, but before he could say anything, David interrupted again. “Wait, hold it!” He paused before deciding, _well I’ve come this far._ “It’s gotta be at least fifty - fifty.”   
Jack sighed at his persistence but also didn’t know why he was being so negotiable. He wouldn’t have even considered to be selling partners with anyone else, but he supposed something about Davey’s blue eyes intrigued him. 

“Sixty - forty and I forget the whole thing.” The Newsies we’re nodding around him. “That’s fair, golden opportunity.” David looked down at Les and saw him nodding as well, and could David ever say no to his puppy dog eyes? He sighed, reluctantly sticking out his hand to seal the deal, but before Jack shook it, he spit in his own, making Davey jump and pull his hand quickly back.  
Jack glared at him, “Wassa madda with you?” David scrunched up his nose at him, “That’s disgusting!” The boys behind him once again busted out laughing, and for the third time since that morning, David flushed bright pink. _He really needed to stop doing that._

As he was swallowed up in the crowd of boys rushing to the gate, he felt Jack swing his arm around his shoulders for the second time. “The name of the game is volume, Davey,” and once again before David could protest the nickname, Jack continued. “You only took twenty papes. Why?” David hesitated, he felt Jack already knew his response.

“Bad headlines?” Jack stopped walking, and the crowed behind them did as well. 

“That’s the first thing you gotta learn. Headlines don’t sell papes. _Newsies_ sell papes.” And those words apparently set off the whole group of boys, as they all started shouting different headlines, most of them David knew weren’t actually there. He followed Jack anyway, deciding there wasn’t much he could do besides go along with it. 

Unfortunately, he was following _Jack,_ who, David is quickly coming to realize, doesn’t exactly think things through. 

Jack lead them to the loudest crowd of people they could have possibly found. There were shouts and screams, but David was mostly focused on the boxing ring, where two men we’re punching each other. He instinctively pulled Les closer to him, and hoped he didn’t lose him in the roaring crowd. He grabbed his papes and followed Jacks lead, shouting all the headlines he could think of. He could barely hear his own voice above the crowd but Jacks voice rang out loud and clear from the chaos.

And it was definitely ringing a whole lot of bullshit.

“Where’s that story?” David asked accusingly, and Jack turned back to him. “Page nine,” he said dryly. David flipped through the pages as fast as he could and skimmed the story. “That’s definitely not what it says,” and Jack shrugged, just working his way through the crowd once more. Suddenly Les appeared next to him, and Jack kneeled down to talk to him. 

“Did ya start in the back like I told ya? Show me again.”

David watched apprehensively as Les started coughing lightly and looked up sorrowfully. “Buy me last pape Mista?” He said in a British accent and David had to stop himself from facepalming. He didn’t know if he should laugh or cry but Jack’s methods of doing pretty much anything obviously _differs_ from David’s. _Yeah Ma,_ he can imagine himself saying later. _Three minutes into selling and Les already learned how to lie to strangers._ Good going, _Davey._

As Les ran off again, he turned to Jack. “My father taught us not to lie.” Jack glanced up at Davey, squinting in the sun. “Yeah, and mine taught me not to starve, so we both got an education.”   
  
“But you’re just making all the headlines up!”

“Well if it makes you feel any better, I’m not doing anything more than the guys who write it do. And besides it’s not lying, it’s just... improving the truth.” 

David raised his eyebrow at Jack in disbelief, and from where Jack sat, the sun framed Davey’s face just right, and Jack had to catch his breath for a moment. Wasn’t there an angel named David? Because Davey here -  
He shook his head. What _was that?_

Jack just chuckled and said “Here. I’ll show ya.” He stood up and walked a bit towards a short woman with long blonde hair, who was sitting alone towards the boxing ring. David followed, at a slight distance, hating that he was intrigued. 

“Hello miss,” David heard Jack day politely. _Oh no..._ David thought. _He knew where this was going._

Jack inwardly smirked as Davey got up and followed him to the short woman. She wasn’t bad looking at all, and Jack thought this was the perfect opportunity, he didn’t know for what exactly, but he knew he wanted those blue eyes watching him, and only him.   
Jack leaned down lightly and kissed the woman’s hand, smirking up at her, and she giggled. David rolled his eyes. _God he’s annoying._ David didn’t like this situation, not in the least bit. Poor woman.  
  
“Could I interest you in a paper? The headlines are quite magnificent today,” Jack spared a glance at Davey, who had his arms crossed over his chest, but his eyes, his eyes were watching intently. _Good._

The woman giggles again, and blushed. “Well,” she said, “if you insist...” 

Jack focused on her again, tearing his thoughts away from the boy near him. “Why, yes I do miss,” he handed her a pape, smirking at her, and she handed him money from her small purse. Jack, for good measure, kissed her hand again and winked before sauntering off to where Davey stood. 

“How’d ya find that Davey?” Jack clasped his hands behind his back, and smirked down at him. David glared at him, but Jack didn’t care one bit, he had Davey’s attention. He noted the way Davey turned pink, stuttering out, “you know you could have done that without the... whatever that was.” He looked away quickly from Jack and cleared his throat. “And it’s David, not Davey.”   
  
“Nah, Davey that takes the fun out of it!” Jack said completely ignoring the correction. Besides... I got an extra bit.” Jack held out his palm and showed Davey that the woman had given him extra change. Jack stepped even closer to him, reaching out and placing the small coin Davey’s breast pocket, the blue eyed boy following his every movement.

“Keep the change, will ya Davey?”

With that, he winked and sauntered away once more, over to Les and sat down, cheering at the fight happening in the ring.   
  
David stood there speechless, cheeks flushing red. _What was that?_ He roughly shook his head and traveled over to where Jack was, and as much as the boy was annoying, David was smiling internally. He had Jack’s coin in his pocket and that at the moment, was all that David cared about. 

David stayed quiet next to Jack, who was yelling at the match with Les, but when he glanced up he made eye contact with a man in a black suit and top hat. The man was talking to a police officer. David squinted and realized the man was staring straight at Jack, and David, not looking away from the man, hit Jack on the shoulder with his papes.   
  
“Hey Jack? Is he a friend of yours?” Jack made eye contact with the man, and abruptly stood up. “Beat it! It’s the bulls!” 

Jack grabbed David by the tie, yanking him forward, Les following too. Immediately, the man started making his way through the crowd, and Jack leaped into the boxing ring, sliding across it as David ducked under the rope to follow.  
David hauled Les in front of him as he booked after Jack, the man right behind them. They ducked into a narrow ally way, and the shriek of the mans whistle compelled both David and Jack to run faster, David almost pushing Les to run.   
  
The wind screamed in their faces as they dodged people and carts in the dirty street, stumbling around the busy area. Jack once again yanked him up a wide staircase, busting through two heavy wooden doors. Davey followed Jack up another staircase, hitting Les from behind. “Go, he’s right behind us!” 

All of a sudden they were on a roof top, the glare of the sun once again hitting them straight on. He glanced around just in time to see Jack throw himself off the roof. Running to the edge he sighed in relief as he found it was just a fake drop off, and helped Les over. Crouching next to Jack, the blue eyed boy put a hand over Les’s mouth to stop him from getting them caught. He could see the creepy mans shadow as he stumbled around around, looking for any sign of the boys.   
  
“I’ll get you Sullivan!” He cried. “You _will_ be brought back to the refuge!”

David’s face scrunched up in confusion as he looked at Jack, who now all of a sudden wouldn’t meet his eye. He tried signaling a question with his body language but the cowboy just shook his head and gestured for David to follow him once again. This time, David went with him without complaint, quite distasteful of the rooftop.  
As they once again ran down the street, Jack abruptly stopped and stepped into a side door off from the Main Street. This time, Davey was the one who placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him around. 

“What?” Jack asked. Davey crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not running any further.” Jack just shook his head and guided him through the metal door. They arrived in what appeared to be the back of a stage, ropes and props hanging off to the side. It was quite elegant for a backstage, and there was a steep staircase leading upwards to their right.   
  
As soon as the door slammed shut, David rounded on Jack, practically exclaiming, “Who is he? I want answers!” Jack stepped forward quickly, putting a finger onto the boys mouth, who, attempt to follow the movement crossed his eyes. Jack almost snorted at this but muffled it with a “shush.”

David shook his head, yanking Jacks finger off his lips. “No! Who is he, why was he chasing you and what is this Refuge?” Jack leaned against the staircase and shrugged slightly.

“The Refuge is a jail for kids. He’s the Warden, names Snyder. Snyder the spider as we call him.” 

Les turned around to Jack. “You’ve been to jail?” _Oh no,_ David thought. 

“Yeah,” Jack answered. “I was starving so I stole some food.”

”Yeah right. Food.” David scoffed next to him. Jack bit is lip to stop himself from lashing out. “Yeah. Food.” David however, didn’t back down, and continued the interrogation, not breaking eye contact.  
“He called you Sullivan.” It wasn’t a question. 

“Well my names Kelly, Jack Kelly. You think I’m lying?” Jack snapped. This is not where we wanted this conversation to go at all. Davey just shrugged.

“You have a way of improving the truth.”

Jack felt his face flush at his own words being thrown out of the boy’s mouth. The cowboy tried to brush it off casually.“Yeah?” 

David stepped forward once more. They were now less than a foot apart, faces flushed and tempers raised. “Yeah. Why was he chasing you?” He yanked Les back from escaping down the hall, but didn’t look away from Jacks face.

”Cus I escaped.” He said simply. He really didn’t need all these questions from Davey, no matter how close he was and no matter how pretty his eyes are. _God he needed to stop calling Davey’s eyes pretty. That was a term boys used for girls, not other guys.  
_Thank god for Les however, because unlike Davey, he actually took an interest in the _important_ parts. “Oh boy, how did ya do it?” The almost ten year old asked, looking up at Jack like he was a celebrity. Jack smirked, looking back up at Davey who narrowed his eyes once more. _  
_

“Well this big shot gave me a ride on his fancy carriage.”   
  
David scoffed. “I bet it was the mayor, right?” 

“No, Teddy Roosevelt, eva heard of him?”

Before David could reply, a women appeared at the top of the staircase. “What’s goin’ on down there?”

The woman was wearing a long, flowing lavender dress. The sequins on it started half way down, and ended with a lacy pattern on the bottom. A dark sash of silk was tied around her waist, accentuating her figure and... other _areas_. Her hair was curled, half tied up in a bun on her head, and the rest flowing around her head in sandy waves. She was beautiful, and David gulped. 

She was waving a large feather at them to shoo, until Jack turned around and grinned. “You wouldn’t kick me out with outa kiss good bye, would ya Medda?” The woman’s face lit up, immediately bringing Jack into a hug. “Oh, Kelly! I missed you kid, where have you been? I miss seein you up on the balcony..” Jack grabbed her hand and kissed it, and wow, David, was it just him or was the room smaller now? He shifted uncomfortably as Jack said “hanging on to your every word.

The cowboy turned around and led Medda down the stairs, her hand in tow. “So Medda, this is Davey and Les, boys, this is the Swedish Meadowlark, Miss Medda Larkson.”

Medda smiled, waving hello at them, and Jack sent David a shit eating grin, winking at him. David shook his head and felt tempted to bury his hands in his face. The boy smiled even wider at Daveys embarrassment, being free to laugh when Medda crouched down to greet Les. 

Les started coughing lightly, Medda’s brow furrowing in concern. “Are you all right?” Les pulled a pape out from behind him And said weakly, “buy me last pape, lady?” 

“Ohh this kid is good!” Medda immediately cracked up. “He is really good! Speaking from one professional to another I’d say you’ve gotta great future.” She ruffled him again before standing up. 

Jack smiled smugly. “Is it alright if we stay here for a bit then? Just until the situation outside goes away.” 

“Oh sure, stay as long as you’d like,” she said warmly, and Jack saw Davey practically swoon. He felt his chest tighten as his smile grew wider. He stepped in front of Davey and grabbed his ruffled tie, pulling him forward snapping him out of it. David looked up at him and smiled softly, stumbling after him almost like a puppy.   
As they found a spot backstage where they could view the stage, Medda leaped up and started singing. The crowd cheered as she started, and both of the news boys grinned. 

As much as David was captured by the woman on stage, the way she moved and her enticing voice drawing him in, he felt his shoulder burn every time the boy next to him brushed it. It was distracting. Glancing up at Jack, he found him already staring back. The slightly taller boy grinned at him, bright eyes trained on the blue eyed boy. David’s stomach erupted in butterflies, and he quickly looked away. _What am I doing? He hated this boy not even an hour ago... and David shouldn’t be staring anyway._  
Biting his lips, he trained his gaze back to the woman on stage, who came up to both the boys, and brushed their faces with her feather. David smiled, but for some reason that pull he felt just minutes ago was gone. Even if David disliked Jack, and he decided he definitely did, as he looked at the gorgeous woman, he found he preferred the intent, watchful gaze of the boy right beside him.   
  


_what is happening?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David and Jack begin to see they have more in common than they do different. Sarah enters the mix and the strike begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the second chapter, enjoy! I also kind of end it abruptly, so sorry about that, but there will be more!

Medda charmed everyone. Her charismatic character on stage entranced the whole theater, and as David shut the door to the backstage, he still heard everyone whistling and cheering at her performance. 

”So,” Jack turned to David, lighting a cigar in the biting air. “Ya like that?”   
David huffed nervously, smiling lightly. “Yeah. She was very beautiful.” Jack nodded at that. _Yeah, Davey. She was._

David gripped onto Les as they walked away from the theater, and if the young boy was pretending to smoke like Jack was, David didn’t say anything. Instead, he turned to Jack, wanting to keep the conversation going.   
  
“How do you know her?”

”Oh, she was a friend of my fathers,” Jack said as he sat down on a crooked wooden bench, Les doing the same, except on the cold ground next to him.

“Ya wanna shine my shoes or somethin?” Jack said to Les jokingly. Les’s eyes lit up and he tried to reach for the cowboys shoes but David smiled and shook his head, checking the time. “Nah, it’s late. Our folks will be worrying.” And if David saw Jacks head snap up from where it was resting at the mention of folks, he didn’t say anything about that either.

“What about yours?” David asked, before his brain could catch up with his mouth. Immediately he wanted to take it back, he knew not all the Newsies had folks, so it was stupid to assume Jack had any either. Jack however, didn’t miss a beat, and David was relieved that he wasn’t overstepping.

“Ah, they’re out west lookin’ for a place to live.”

Jack had been telling that lie his entire life. To prodding neighbors checking in on him when they saw him beg in the streets after his fathers small apartment had been left empty for the third week in a row. To concerned distant family members who never took the time of day for him. Even some of the Newsies didn’t know he lied about his folks. Some days, he didn’t even know he lied himself, at times it just felt so right. Why _wouldn’t_ his parents be in Santa Fe? 

Pulling out a small orange and yellow brochure from his pocket, with green loopy letters on it, he turned to Les. “See that? That’s Santa Fe. Once they find the right ranch they’ll send for me.” Although he didn’t show it, Jacks heart sunk at the prospect of never really receiving a letter. 

“Well, then you’ll be a real cowboy,” Les said sweetly, and all of a sudden it made sense to David why the Newsies called him cowboy. He thought it was kind of a bittersweet dream, but he also wasn’t sure if Jack was just improving what he thought was the truth. Before the cowboy could say anything in response however, there was a loud crash from the block over. The boys heard distant screaming and yelling, and all three of them sprinted over to see what the commotion was.

As they turned the corner, the heat hit them like a wall, David gasping in surprise. A huge fire raged just twenty or so feet from where the boys stood, people yelling and fighting each other as chaos broke out everywhere. 

“Jack,” David tried to yell over the commotion. “Why don’t we go back to my place and divvy up? You can meet my folks!” David really wasn’t sure why he included, or mentioned his parents but it really didn’t matter anyway because Jack could not have been paying any less attention to him.   
  
“It’s a trolley strike Davey! These couple a dumbasses must not have joined or somethin.’”

David shook his head, jumping as glass shattered in the distance. “ _Jack_ , lets get out of here. Please?” He could notbelieve he just said _please_ to Jack Kelly of all people, but the only thing he could think about was getting Les away from the danger. At David’s anxious tone, Jack turned around and slung an arm over the blue eyed boy, who had his shoulders bunched in worry. “Maybe we’ll get a good headline tomorrow.” Jack said, relenting to David’s will as he turned towards Les, who had passed out on a cold bench.

“Look at him! He slept all a way through it!” Jack said, laughing lightly. Before David could nudge Les awake, the slightly taller boy leaned down gently, in a manner than kind of surprised David, and scooped up Les in his arms. David watched as Jack started walking away from the commotion with Les strung over his shoulder, and felt an emotion he couldn’t quite place creeping in, and a small smile beginning on his face. Jack turned around once again.

“Are ya comin’ or not Davey?” David shook his head, clearing away the intrusive thoughts, and jogged lightly to catch up, a full smile now fully brightening his face. 

When they finally arrived back at David’s place, they were immediately greeted by an anxious woman, with a worried look in her eye. “My god what happened?” She cried, looking at a sleeping Les hanging over Jacks shoulder.   
  
David smiled lightly, and kissed his mother on the cheek. “Nothin’ mama, he’s just sleepin’.” David’s mother picked up Les off of Jacks shoulder and carried him into a large bed in the corner of the room.   
  
“We’ve got dinner waiting.” A man at the small table said, who Jack presumed to be David’s father. “Where have you been?” 

David paused, but instead of answering, he reached into his pockets and grabbed all the coins he and Jack had made, dumping it on the table, and grinning at his fathers shock. He kept the coin Jack gave him in his breast pocket though, he felt for some odd reason it was the right thing to do.  
  
“You made all of that selling papers?” David’s father asked, eyes widening in excitement. David shrugged, trying not to appear too proud. “Well, half of it’s Jacks.”

At his mention, he seemed to remember that Jack was still there, and sheepishly traveled back to where Jack was standing in the doorway. David tugged the taller boy further into the apartment by his sleeves. Jack didn’t know what to do, awkwardly fumbling about in the apartment. He tried not to feel jealous of Davey’s circumstances. After all, nobody could help if they had folks or not.

“Jack this is Mayer, my father. That’s Esther, my mother. Mama, papa, this is our selling partner and our friend, Jack Kelly.” Jack smiled internally at the sentiment of a friend, even though they had been perceived enemies that very morning. Jack awkwardly shook Mayer’s hand, letting a smile pull at his face, and tried not to appear so uptight. 

_Uptight? When was Jack freaking Kelly uptight? Davey is rubbing off on him already.  
_

“And that’s my sister Sarah,” Davey continued, and pointed to a tall, pretty girl sitting in the corner sewing. She looked up at Jack when her brother said her name, and my god if Davey was a girl, she would almost be a spitting image. He must have been staring at Sarah too long because Davey’s hand tightened on Jacks upper arm. That was strange, because Jack couldn’t recall when the boy had grabbed his arm, but then he realized that Davey had just never let go. 

“Hon, maybe David’s partner would like to join us for dinner? Why don’t you add a little more water to the soup.” Mayer kissed Esthers cheek and she laughed a little, scandalized. Jack thought with a small smile that although Davey looked like Sarah, almost to a point, the way he composed himself was exactly like his mother.  
  
As all four of them sat down at the small wooden table, the trickling rain outside quickly became a downpour. Jack was very grateful to not be sopping wet at the moment, and took the opportunity to scoot closer to Davey. “So uh,” Jack began. He hated silence. “From what I’ve seen, your boys are a couple of born Newsies.”

As Jack began talking, Sarah was walking around, pouring soup for everyone. The bronze haired boy looked up at her, and smiled charmingly. “Can I have a little more please?” She blushed and looked back at him. “Of course.”   
Jack awkwardly looked back at the table, and found everyone was staring at the two. Mayer had a small smirk on his face, and Esther raised an eyebrow. Davey, however, Davey was giving him a look he didn’t quite understand. Jack plowed on, clearing his throat.

“ _So..._ With my experience and their hard work I say we could peddle... a thousand a week and not break a sweat.” 

Mayer leaned in. “That many?” Jack was glad he sounded impressed. 

”More when the headline is good.” 

Sarah sat down quickly after handing Jack his extra soup. When she did, her knees dug into the side of his thigh. Leaning into him, she asked, “Well, what makes a headline good?” 

“Oh you know, catchy words like _maniac,_ or _corpse_ or um....Love nest and nude are good too.”

Sarah laughed at what he said, and Jack felt himself smiling too. _Huh. She has Davey’s smile._ Jack thought, looking back at Davey to see him grin softly as well. Then he turned to the two’s parents, face falling at the image of their faces. _Shit._

“Uh, maybe I’m talkin’ too much.” Jack felt his ears turn red in embarrassment, and he sunk lower in his seat. A nice family, _Davey’s_ family, had let him in and he ruined it by being stupid. 

Mayer, however, smiled after a moment. “Hey Sarah?” 

Sarah jumped from where she was sitting, leaning away from Jack in surprise.

”Why don’t you go get the cake your mothers hiding in the cabinet?” 

Esther laughed in shock, smacking him lightly. “That’s for your birthday!” 

_Yep, definitely Davey,_ Jack thought, breathing out a sigh of relief as the tension at the table relaxed. He could almost _hear_ David’s anxious thoughts next to him, which was strange considering he hasn’t even known Davey for twenty four hours and yet he's dining with his parents. 

“Well I’ve had enough birthdays,” Mayer said lightheartedly. “And this is a celebration!”

David felt his heart sink at those words, but he couldn’t figure out why. The way Jack and Sarah were looking at each other made him feel sick. It’s not like he _liked_ Jack like that, no. He couldn’t, only girls could like Jack that way, and David was not... _queer._ Swallowing the vile taste in his mouth at the unpleasant thoughts, he got up and said, I’ll get the knife!” 

“I’ll get the plates!” Sarah added, grinning. David turned around to his father, deciding to change the topic. “It’s only the beginning, Papa. The longer I work the more money I’ll make.”

Mayer smiled, but just slightly. “Now you’ll only work until I can go back to the factory, and then you will go back to school like you promised.” 

Jack raised an eyebrow at the thought of Davey going to school, but it suited him. Davey is smart and well poised, but what really caught his attention was the way David’s face fell at the mention of going back. _What_ _could be so bad about school?_ Jack wondered.  
Silence engulfed them for a few seconds before Sarah broke it by kissing her father on the cheek. “Happy birthday, Papa.” She started passing around slices of the cake, and when Jack got a taste of it, he practically inhaled the rest, because _wow_ Esther can cook. They happily all started to eat before being suddenly interrupted by a voice near the bed. Jack and David turned around to see Les sleeping, singing one of Medda’s songs softly. “Come back.. my lovey dovey baby... and coochie - coo with me.” 

The two newsboys shared a look of horror before bursting out laughing, staring at their cakes with new interest so they didn’t have to meet Esthers questioning glance. 

  
After all the cake had been consumed, both of the boys made their way outside to the little rickety fire escape outside David and Sarah’s shared room. The moonlight casted a calming glow over everything, crickets chirping in the distance. Jack took a deep breath, feeling the calm of the night in his lungs.  
  
“So... how did your Pop get hurt?” Jack questioned. Davey looked up at Jack at the question and _oh._ Jack blinked in shock. _That's_ the difference between Sarah and Davey. It had been nagging at him all evening. Their laugh, smile and demeanor was almost exactly the same but... Sarah didn’t have Davey’s eyes. Jack felt his ears starting to burn up once again, and this time he knew it wasn’t from the cold or embarrassment. 

“Oh, there was an accident at the factory he worked at. He’s no good to them anymore, so they just fired him. No union to protect him or nothin’.” David wanted to facepalm. _No union? What is he rambling on about now?_ He glanced at the boy standing shoulder to shoulder with him, and smiled awkwardly. To his relief, the other boy was already doing the same, and their eyes quickly darted away when they met. David drummed his fingers on the cold staircase railing, searching for something to say, but unfortunately his brain chose this time to malfunction and focus on the feeling in Jack’s arm pressed into his, _is that muscle underneath -_

“David?” Mayer popped his head in the window. “It’s time to come in.” David spun around quickly, thankful for the distraction from his.. _thoughts,_ and to hide his face, which was getting redder by the second.   
“Alright.” David said and started walking to the large window, but before he could go through, Jack put a hand on his back, turning him around.  
  
“Jack!” David said, louder than he intended. Jack looked up at the curly haired boy in question. When they locked eyes however, they didn’t look away this time, and David suddenly lost all confidence in what he was going to say. 

“Why don’t you stay here tonight?” He asked softly, and grinned inwardly at the half smile Jack gave him.   
  
“Ah, no thanks, I got my own place.” Jack really hated lying to the blue eyed boy, especially when said blue eyes were wide and wonderful in the pale moonlight. “But your families real nice Davey.” Jack swallowed a lump in his throat. “Just like mine.”   
  
David nodded slightly at that. Something didn’t feel quite right about what Jack said, but for some unexplainable reason, David trusted Jack wholly. _That’s a mistake,_ his brain whispered to him, and the rational part of David screamed in protest of this. Unfortunately, David was listening to something much more impulsive than his brain, and every time Jack smirked down at him, it would beat a little quicker. But instead of voicing any of that to Jack, because that would be stupid, and _they had just met_ for Christ sake, and they were both _boys_ for that matter - 

“Davey?” Jack asked, smiling a little. David jumped and blushed at being caught in his thoughts again.

”Uh. Alright. Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow?” _Maybe aim for a little less desperate?_ He chided himself. But Jack nodded his head in response, playing with the collar of his shirt that definitely wasn’t distracting David in any way.   
  
“Yeah, Davey, ill see you tomorrow.” And with that, Jack turned and started down the rickety fire escape stairs. 

David let out a breath of relief, running his hands through his hair when Jack was out of sight. His mind was spinning a mile a minute, heart racing as he climbed back into his shared room. His hands were shaking slightly, and the biggest smile he’s had all day began blooming on his red face.   
  


All the warmth of Davey’s family left Jack as he made his way down the metal steps of the fire escape. As he heard Esther singing softly in the distance, he felt a pit opening in his chest. _So that’s what a family is like...._ Jack shook his head. _Be glad you don’t have one, cowboy. Be glad there’s no one waiting up for you at home.  
_

_Be glad you have Santa Fe._

_  
_ But as Jack was walking his mind kept straying to Davey. As his heart started beating faster at the thought of the boy, he shook his head. He knew what happens to men who act on those kinds of thoughts. And he won’t pretend he didn’t know what those actions entailed, he went to the refuge for a reason. 

Biting his lip, the momentary pain distracting from his thoughts, he walked the last block to the lodging house, slumped over with his hands in his pockets and heart on the dusty, dirty ground.   
  


* * *

  
“They jacked up the price!” Kid blink shouted in outrage. “Did ya hear that? _Ten cents a hundred.”_

Jack was barely approaching the World Center distribution line, but he really didn’t need to be far away to hear the outrage and the tension from the Newsies gathered around in a line. He saw Morris behind Kid Blink mocking what he was saying as the Newsie went off on a tangent. “You know, it’s bad enough we gotta eat what we don’t sell! Now they jacked up the price? Can you _believe_ it?” 

“So bust me,” a boy said angrily. “I’m barely making a living right now.” 

“I’ll be back sleepin on the streets,” Boots said solemnly. 

Mush turned to Crutchie. “It don’t make no sense. I mean… with all the money Pulitzer is makin? Why would he gouge us?” 

“Because he's a tightwad, that’s why,” Race snapped storming by. The boy aggressively took a drag of his cigar as Jack rolled his eyes and stepped forward to where Weasel stood, smirking arrogantly.

“So why the jack up, Weasel?” Weasel just raised an eyebrow in response. “Why not? It’s a nice day.”

Jack rolled his eyes in frustration, walking away, while Weasel called, “Why don’t ya ask Mista Pulitzer?” 

“They can’t do this to me Jack…” Blink said again desperately.  
“They can do whateva they want, its their stinkin paper!” Race exclaimed, still pacing in aggravation. 

“It ain’t fair! We’ve got no rights at all!” Blink continued, ignoring everything Race said. “C’mon it’s a rigged deck.” Race spat. “They got all a marbles okay?” 

“We got not choice, so let’s just get out lousy papes while they still got em,’” Mush states, agreeing with Race. Jack shook his head waving them all off. 

“No, nobody’s going anywhere!” 

Mush threw his hands up. “We have to eat, Jack.” The Newsies all started talking at once, trying to yell over one another, before Les made his way through the crowd surrounding Jack. “Clear our, clear out! Give him some room, Let him think!” The near ten year old sat next to Jack, who nodded at him in appreciation. Blink offered his cigar, and Jack took it, silent for a moment. The crowd of Newsies held its breath, and David thought that was probably the longest time any of the boys had been silent. 

That is, until Race huffed impaciently again, and snapped, “Jack, ya done thinkin?” Before Jack could respond however, Weasel shook the window pane to the distribution center. “Hey hey hey! World employees only on this side of the gate!” 

As the ugly man cackled at his own joke, the Newsies all shouted at him to shut up, rolling their eyes in annoyance, some giving him the finger.

“Well, listen,” Jack said, bringing the attention back to him. “One things for sure. If we don’t sell papes, nobody sells papes! Nobody comes through those gates until they put the price back where it was.” The boys all nodded in approval at the idea. That is until David spoke up. “What do you mean, like a strike?” 

Jack turned around to face him. “Yeah like a strike.” Now all the boys groaned. “Are you out of your _mind?”_ Race said incredulously, cigar almost falling out of his mouth.

“It’s a good idea!” Jac protested, feeling his face heat up. David jumped down to where jack was sitting. “I was just joking, Jack.” Jack looked up at the other boy, narrowing his eyes. David continued, “we can’t strike. We don’t have a union.” 

“Yeah, but if we go on strike then we are a union, right?” 

David had admit the boy was right... but not accurate. “No, then we’re just a bunch of angry kids with no money.....Maybe if we get every Newsie in New York but..” 

Jack looked up at him suddenly, the fire in his eyes starting to come back.  
_Uh oh, that was not the right thing to say, David._

“We organize!” Jack jumped to his feet, excitement filling him once again. “Crutchie take up a collection. Well get all the newsies in New York to join us.” 

“Swell,” Crutchie said sarcastically cheerily. “Cmon guys were a union!” He held out his hat to the newsboys for money but they just chuckled and shoved him away. 

David was staring to panic. “Jack this isn’t a joke! You saw what happened to those trolley workers.” 

Jack pointed at him. “That’s another good idea. Any Newsie that doesn’t want to join, then we bust their heads like the trolley workers!” The group of boys cheered loudly, and David was starting to realize, that Jack was probably the most impulsive, problematic person he’s ever met. Unfortunately, he was also _incredibly_ persuasive. 

“Stop and this about this Jack,” David pleaded. _“_ You can’t just rush everyone into this!” Unfortunately, David knew Jack could, and would do exactly that. But what surprised him, was Jack pausing for a moment and looking at him. “Alright.... I’ll think about it.” 

After a moment, Jack yelled “Okay listen!” And the crowd of restless boys fell silent. David was was standing by a worn statue, Jack in front of him and the Newsies all in front of Jack. “Davey is right. I mean, Pulitzer and Hearst and all them otha rich fellas, they own this city. So what are a bunch of street rats like us gonna do about it?” 

Jack could feel the energy of the crowd deflate at that question, and before he could think better, or think of Davey for that matter, he shouted, “The choice has to be yours! are we just gonna take what they give us, or are we gonna strike?” 

David sighed in relief, before he realized what Jack had said, looking up at the boy in shock. The crowd stood still for a moment, holding its breath before a small voice next to David cried out, “Strike!”  
David glanced down at Les in horror, before grabbing his jacket, and putting a hand over his mouth. “ _What do you think your doing?”_ He hissed at Les, but the small boy didn’t seem to hear him.

“Yeah let’s do it!” Boots cried, along with the other newsboys. “Tell us what to do cowboy!” 

However, Jack did not answer the call of his nickname, and to further Davids horror, he turned to the blue eyed boy.  
_Oh no._ David panicked. _He was not about to cause an entire strike. That is not what he does, he doesn’t break the rules. Ever._

But when the taller boy’s bright eyes met his, and his grin caught the light of the sun, Davids rational train of thought was halted. Jack walked over to David, _really close,_ apparently not knowing what personal space is, and smirked down at him. David was caught up in Jacks charisma, the ideas, and the message the other boy held, and David knew in that moment, he was completely, utterly, fucked. 

Jack glanced down at Davey’s lightly freckled face and said softly, “Tell us what to do Davey.” Blue eyed blinked up at him, conflict running through them a mile a minute, before someone cried out, “Yeah, Davey, tell us what to do!”

Neither Jack nor David seemed to have heard it though, and didn’t break eye contact. David took a deep breath, and said to Jack, “Pulitzer and Hearst have to respect our rights.” 

Jack grinned at him, turning away for a split second. “Listen! Pulitzer and Hearst have to respect the rights of the working boys of New York!” The crowd erupted in cheers at this, and David almost grinned. _Almost_. 

Jack turned back to Davey. “Uh. Well that worked pretty good, so what else?” David looked up at Jack. “Tell them… tell them they can’t treat us like we don’t exist.”  
Jack, at Davey’s words, turned towards the statue, leaping up quickly. “Pulitzer and Hearst? They think we’re nothin’. Are we nothin’?” Jack shouted to the crowd. The newsboys raised their fists, shouting no in protest.

David really shouldn’t be as entranced by Jack’s actions as he was. So? David continued talking, something he could do comfortably.   
“If we stick together like the trolley workers, then they can’t break us up.” Jack shouted into the crowd, repeating Davey’s words, ripping one of the papes he was supposed to be selling. “If we stay strong, and keep together, we _are_ a union!” 

“What’s gonna stop someone from selling our papes?” Boots cried out. Jack kneeled down on the statute, and said, “Well we’ll talk with em’!” 

Race piped up, “Well some of em’ don’t hear so good!” Jack turned to the boy, grinning. “Well then we’ll soak em’!” 

“No!” David protested at Jacks words.“We can’t just beat up kids on the street, it’ll give us a bad name!” Jack, of course, didn’t acknowledge a word David said, instead grabbing a wooden stick and raising it in the air. “What’s it gonna take or stop the wagons?” He cried. “Are we ready?” 

Again, the crowd of newsboys cheered, but Davey shouted in protest. They are certainly _not_ ready thank you very much. Even though his brain was very much opposed to this idea, especially one so irrationally thought out, he had to admit… Jack was an excellent leader, albeit impulsive. David felt his resolve weakening just by being in the presence of the boy, and he still had yet to decide if he hated the power Jack had over him or not. 

Jack leaped off the statue into the fired up crowd, and started leading them away. David didn’t know where, but he figured he might as well follow, not that he had much of a choice anyway. “When the circulation bell starts ringin’, will we hear it?”   
  


“No!” The boys voices rang out loud as they marched quickly behind Jack?

 _What have I started?_ David thought, panicking to himself. _If he had just learned to control his mouth… his family needed income, and now where would that money come from?_  
  
The newsboys now gathered at the front of the world center. The we’re grabbing newspapers and crumpling them, some shouting profanities, some just the words ‘strike’ over and over, their cries beginning to draw a fair crowd of onlookers. All of a sudden, David looked up, and Jack was in front of him, beautiful and entrancing. “Pulitzer may own the world but he don’t own us!” He shouted to the boys. Then he turned to David, grabbing the boys shoulders and looking into his defiant eyes. “Pulitzer may crack the whip but he won’t whip us!” As he said this, he drew David in closer, and for a millisecond time seemed to halt and it was just Jack and him. How could he say no to a boy looking at him like that? To a boy so defiant, especially when he starts climbing the ladder to the big world center blackboard - 

Wait. 

_He’s climbing the ladder to the world center blackboard._ David snapped out of his thoughts, watching in awe Jack grabbed a chalk piece from the bottom of the board, and started scratching out big letters over the neatly printed ones. The crowd of boys all came together at the front of the large building when Jack finished writing out the letters S - T - R - I - K - E. Davey somehow winded up being in the front and center of the large mass of boys, and he took a deep breath in, feeling some confidence he hadn’t before. He supposed a person like Jack will do that to you.

Said boy turned around and looked down, immediately making eye contact with Davie as the crowd below started chanting “ _strike! strike! strike!”_ David smiled up and nodded in approval, and Jack threw his arms up in triumph, nodding slightly back at the other boy as a huge smile took over his face. 

Jack started down the huge ladder, and when his feet hit the ground, he was immediately engulfed by the crowd of boys, all throwing their hats at him and hitting his back in approval. Immediately, Jack started for Davey, feeling his heart swell at the sight of him smiling slightly in front of the massive news building. “We need to get the word out to all a Newsies of New York!” Jack said excitedly as he reached Davey.

“I need some a those… uh. What do you call em’?” He gestured towards the boy for help.David blinked owlishly before saying slowly, “um… you mean ambassadors?” 

Jack paused for a moment. “Yeah.” He then climbed the remaining few steps, dragging Davey by the hand with him. 

“Alright you guys!” He cried. “I need some of you to go be am bastards,” Davey snorted at his mispronunciation, and smiled slightly, finding it endearing. Jack elbowed him lightly but smiled as well. “And go tell the others we’re on strike!” 

Kid blink immediately volunteered, “Jack I got harlem!” 

“I got midtown!” 

“I got the Bronx!” 

“Specs, skittery, you take Queens,” Jack instructed. “Okay! Who wants Brooklyn?”

Suddenly, the crowd was quiet. 

“Cmon, it’s Spot Conlon’s territory! What’s the matter, ya scared of Brooklyn?” 

“Hey we ain’t scared of Brooklyn... Spot Conlon makes us a little… nervous.” Boots said defiantly, and Newsies agreed solemnly. Jack smirked. “Well he don’t make me nervous.” He could feel Davey’s gaze directed at him, and it made Jack start to heat up in the cool morning air. Ignoring the itch to meet the boys eyes as best he could, he continued. “So you and me Boots, we’ll go to Brooklyn.” He then turned to the curly haired boy, pulling him into a side hug. “And Davey here can keep us company.” 

David laughed lightly, a blush taking over his freckled face as he said, “Sure.. as soon as you take our demands to Pulitzer.” David almost chuckled at the comical way Jacks face fell when he mentioned it. “Uh. _Me_ to _Pulitzer_?”

David leaned closer to him and put on arm on the slightly taller boy’s shoulder, smirking “Well you’re the leader, Jack.” Jack blushed and looked down at Davey, grinning nervously. Pausing for a moment, he turned around and suddenly grabbed Les. “Well maybe the kid will soften him up.” He then charged inside without another thought, the crowd of newsboys triumphantly cheering behind him.

Not moments later, a taller man in a brown suit came over to David and tugged on his sleeve. “Hey what is this? What’s going on?” David was taken aback for a second, _why would the man ask him?_ He had neat brown hair, that was styled slightly, and green - blue eyes. David took a breath and the strong aroma of cologne momentarily stopped David’s brain.

“We’re uh, bringing our demands to Pulitzer,” David replied finally. The man scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. “What demands?” 

“The Newsies demands,” David gestured to the crowd surrounding them. “We’re on strike.” 

“Huh.. I’m with the New York sun. The names Brian Denton.” He stuck out his hand for a shake. “You seem like the kid in charge, what’s your name?” 

David barely contained a snort at the _kid in charge wha-_

 _Oh_. He wasn’t.. he was in charge now? David awkwardly shook the mans hand. “Uh David. David Jacobs.” 

“Nice to meet you David… is that David as in David and Goliath?” The boy smiled at that, shaking his head slightly and the man Denton smiled as well. 

“You really think old man Pulitzer is gonna listen to your demands?” 

“Well… he has to!” David said certainly, and not three seconds later, the big golden doors to the building burst open with a crash, Jack and Les being thrown out on their heels.

“You tell Pulitzer,” Jack shouted angrily as the man spat at them to get out, “That he needs an appointment with _me_!” 

“Yeah!” Les added as the doors slammed shut with finality, David face palming as Denton chuckled and Jack stormed off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So while I was writing this chapter, I actually discovered something I didn’t know, and it kind of created.... or rather furthered the fact that Jack is really gay. I’m not exactly sure where I came across it, but apparently in the West during the mid 19th century, because of the lack of women, when celebrations and dances were held, cowboys would dance with other cowboys.  
> BUT that is not where it stops, no. The man who wanted the lead part/role would wear a red bandana around his neck, and the man who wanted the female part would wear a blue one. 
> 
> In conclusion: Jack is a top and suddenly it’s a lot clearer why he wears the bandana and is called cowboy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The strike continues! Enter Brooklyn, and some awkward tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so I’m back! I just regained some motivation to finish this chapter, although it’s a bit shorter than what I usually write. I still hope you like it and thanks for reading (hopefully there’s not too many mistakes, as I didn’t really proof read it).

David snorted at Jacks shocked face as he was tossed from the building he had entered, and went to place a hand on his shoulder to stop him from charging back in. “Jack! Jack stop.” The cowboy breathed in sharply, but complied.  
“Jack,” David continued, pointing behind him to the taller man, “I’d like you to meet Brian Denton, he’s with the New York sun.”  
Jack’s eyes went wide at that, and he smirked, walking over to shake Denton’s hand quite aggressively.

”It’s nice to meet you,” Denton said. “If you want, there’s a diner down the next block we can talk at.” David nodded sheepishly in thanks, and quickly started to drag Les and Jack away from the news building. “That would be great.” 

As they sat down in the surprisingly comfortable booths, Denton ordered a bunch of food for the newsboys, and Jack’s jaw practically hit the ground at the unfamiliar sight of plentiful food. “So,” Denton said. “What happened exactly?”

David filled him in a bit, rambling on about the raised prices and the beginnings of the strike, which had started out as a mere idea. “The only problem is to get them to listen.” 

At this, Jack jumped in. “Yeah! I went to ask for Mista Pulitzer, and this mug comes at me, she was real _hoity toity,_ if you know what I mean.” David rolled his eyes at his dramatics.

“Yeah, real hoity toity,” Les confirmed as he took a pause from his soup.  
David smiled lightly at the imitation of Jack, the cowboy continuing with a slight glare. “And she says to me _oh no you can’t see Mista Pulitzer, no one sees Mista Pulitzer._ And I just said, listen, I’m not in the habit of transacting business with office boys, just tell ‘em _Jack Kelly_ is here to see him.” 

“And that’s when they threw us out.” Les interrupted ever so graciously, and David laughed loudly, resolve breaking and snorting into his meal. Jack flushed, kicking him under the table, and David just rolled his eyes and smirked at the boy. Jack shook his head in amusement, biting his lip. Denton nodded at this amusedly. “Does it scare you?” He said to the newsboy leader. “I mean.. you’re going up against the most powerful man in New York.” 

“Oh yeah look I’m tremblin’.” Jack said sarcastically and David once again kicked him under the table. Jack shrugged, as Denton reached in his breast pocket and grabbed a small piece of paper. “Alright then, keep me informed. I wanna know everything that’s going on.” He handed the sheet to David, who looked down questioningly.

“Are we really an important story?” David hoped they were, Denton seemed like a nice enough guy, but would be really pay them the time of day? Especially when it got serious, and change really did start to happen. Denton shrugged in consideration. “Well what’s important?” David looked up at the question curiously.

“Last year I covered the war in Cuba. I charged up San Juan hill right alongside Colonel Teddy Roosevelt. _That_ was a very important story.” He looked at Jack, and after a moment nodded in contemplation. “So is the newsboy strike important? Well that, that depends on you.”  
The older man smiled slightly at the boys before grabbing his coat and walking away. However, before he could exit the restaurant, Jack called out. “So... my name really is gonna be in the papes?”

Denton looked back and smiled. “Any objections?”  
  
“Not as long as you get it right,” Jack said jokingly. “Jack Kelly. And no pictures.” 

“Sure,” Denton laughed, nodding once before heading out the door. Jack looked at David triumphantly, before digging back into his meal of pancakes and eggs. And if David didn’t tell the boy that there was some syrup on his chin, then he supposed it wasn’t anybody’s problem but his own.

David had never been to Brooklyn. He stated so to Boots, who laughed. “Really?” The blue eyed boy nodded. Jack slapped him in the back laughing lightly, leaning over the massive bridge to yell down. His voice echoed loudly, and David smiled. But then worry seized his mind. “Uh. Is this Spot Conlon really that dangerous?” Now both Boots and Jack were cracking up and David felt his face heat up once again, a smile blooming on his face. 

David found Brooklyn wasn’t all that different from Manhattan - same cluttered buildings, same smell, and same grimy streets. Still, David walked a little faster and _maybe_ made sure he didn’t stray too far from Jack. He was in unknown territory after all. As they approached a harbor, the blue eyed boy spotted a bunch of other kids working, hauling fish and nets. He also noticed when Jack walked by, they looked up. David felt himself shrink under their glance, and was glad for once that he wasn’t Jack Kelly, who just lifted his head higher and shouldered on.

One boy however, suddenly appeared out of the water of the harbor. He climbed a wooden ladder quickly and when he lifted himself up, he stood right in Jacks way, getting in his face. Jutting his nose at the trio he asked, “Are ya goin somewhere Kelly?”  
Jack just rolled his eyes and glared at the boy until he moved slightly aside. When David worked to move past him however, the boy held out his arm to stop his motion. David halted, Boots almost running into his back. The Brooklyn boy smirked at him, and not in a pleasant way. David felt his face warm up as the boy looked him up and down.

 _This boy is way too close and way too shirtless_ David thought, and before he could push the boy out of the way, or maybe fall into his chest (David really wasn’t sure which he wanted) Jack grabbed his wrist, tugging and maneuvering David around the shirtless boy.

Jack didn’t let go of David's arm, however, and continued to drag him along, the cowboy feeling a pit of jealousy open up in his chest, and thoughts of punching the boy in the nose crossing his mind.

“Well if it ain’t Jack be nimble, Jack be quick.” Jack let David’s arm slip from his wrists at the voice calling out. The bronze haired boy glanced up and grinned, “So you moved up in the world Spot.” He said, almost sarcastically. “Got a river view and everything.”

The boy swung his legs over the fence of the pier, and David… well _this_ couldn’t be the fearsome Spot Conlon right? The boy was hardly menacing, at least not physically. The glare he had on however told a different story. He was wearing a plaid shirt with red suspenders, and carried a cane with a gold top on it, giving the impression of power. David swallowed his nerves, and squared his shoulders. 

Jack spit in his hands as they approached, and Spot did the same. David cringed. The Newsies really needed a better greeting _.  
  
_“Hey Boots how’s it goin’?” Spot asked the small boy, looking past David. Boots held out his hands, grinning. “I got a couple a real good shooters here,” and David spied some small round.. rocks? Sitting in the palm of his hand. Spot looked up with intrigue, and grabbed one from the other boys palm. “Yeah….very nice... hey so Jackie boy I’ve Uh… I’ve been hearing some things from little birds.” Spot took the smooth rock and put it in a small slingshot David hadn’t noticed hanging around his belt.

“Yeah?” Jack asked and David rolled his eyes. Spot aimed the slingshot and David jumped a little, moving out of the way. “Things from Harlem. Queens.”  
The short boy fired the rock at what appeared to be light speed, and David watched it sail and hit a bottle dead on, shattering it instantly. _Oh._

“Thing from all over,” the Brooklyn leader continued on, not even phased. “They’ve been chirping in my ear. Sayin’ that Jackie boy’s Newsies playing like they goin’ on strike.” 

“Yeah well we are,” Jack said surely.

“Well we’re not playing. We _are_ going on strike.” David spoke up, trying to control the heat on his face. Spot turned his attention to him and stepped forward into his space. David felt the deadly glare of his gaze.  
“Oh yeah?” He then turned his eyes to Jack next to him. “What is this Jack? Some kind of walking mouth?” David felt anger boil at the insult, but before he could retort, Jack stepped forward and slung an arm around his back him to stop him.

“Yeah, he is a walking mouth, a mouth with a brain, and if you have half of one you’d listen to what he has to say.” David flushed at that and tried not to smile. “Go on,” Jack encouraged. “Tell ‘em.” 

Spot raised an eyebrow as David looked at him once more and took a deep breath. “Well we started the strike, but we can’t do it alone. So, ah we’ve been talking to other Newsies all around.” 

“Yeah,” Spot deadpanned. “So they told me. But what did they tell you?” 

David grinned suddenly. “Well they said they’re waiting to see what Spot Conlon does, that you’re the key.” David felt Jack look up at him, and saw him starting to smile out of the corner of his eye. David continued with new found confidence. “They say that Spot Conlon is the most respected and famous Newsie in all of New York.”

Jack almost laughed aloud at what Davey was saying but he had to admit the blue eyed boy was kind of a genius, and he grinned in encouragement. 

“And well, probably everywhere else,” David continued. “And if Spot Conlon joins the strike, then they’ll join and we’ll be unstoppable! So you gotta join.. you just gotta.” Spot nodded in approval at Jack, never taking his watchful eye off David. “Well youse right Jack. Brains. But _I_ got brains too. And more than just half ‘a one.” He approached David slowly and waved his cane at the taller boys nose. 

“How do I know you punks won’t run the first time some goon come at you with a club? How do I know,” he turned to Jack menacingly. “You got what it takes to win?”

“Because I’m telling you, Spot.” Jack argued. Said Newsie turned around after a beat. “That ain’t good enough, Jackie boy.” He paused. 

“You gotta show me.” Spot turned away from them at that, and led his crowd of boys away from where the trio stood.  
_Well shit._

The next morning, David spotted a group of Newsies underneath the statue where Jack had stood that morning, calling out for justice. As they approached, Jack heard Race call out “double down boys” and throw his hands in the air triumphantly. The other Newsies sighed and handed over the spare change in their pockets. Then Race turned around. “Hey Jack! How ya doin? Where’s spot?” 

Jack leaned against the statue. “Oh uh. Well he was concerned about us being serious, if ya can imagine that.” Jack felt David lean against him.

“Well, ya know, Jack, maybe we should ease off a little?” Race said uncertainty. 

“Yeah, Jack, without Spot and da othas, there’s not enough of us ya know?” Kid Blink piped in too. “You know, maybe we’re movin too fast.”

Jack scowled at the group. “Oh you think so?” 

A boy nodded, “yeah I think we should forget about it for a little while.” Race nudged the guy with his shoulder. “Yeah exactly. We ain’t Brooklyn.” 

Jack balked incredulously. “Hey who we kiddin here? Spot was right, is it just a game to you all?” 

Race rolled his eyes, “no jack it’s not a game it’s just—“

“Just what?” 

None of the boys answered at that but Jack felt David put a hand on his shoulder encouragingly. 

“Hey!” David shouted. “Jacks right. Remember what he said before?” The crowd of boys glanced back up to David in interest, who hardly ever raised his voice. Jack raised an eyebrow in surprise as well. 

David ignored all this. “We can’t let anyone break us. If we stick together, then they can’t break us apart.” He took a deep breath as his confidence grew. 

“It’s time to seize the day. And if we don’t do it now, then how can we expect things to change?” 

The boys shifted uncomfortably as David saw Race nodding. “Yeah, Dave is right. We need to seize our opportunity.” 

David smiled at this. “They can’t take our rights away if we are united. But it’s up to you to decide that.” He turned to Jack. “Are we united?” 

Jack had been staring at David open mouthed, surprised at his confidence but immediately deciding he wasn’t opposed to it. 

“Yeah, Davey we are.” He then focused on the group in front of him. “Daveys right! We are a union. So now we gotta act like it.” David grinned and pulled jack into a side hug as the ringing of the circulation bell cut through the air. Jack snapped his attention to the large group of boys. 

“Anybody hear that?” The group cried no in protest. 

“Then what are we gonna do about it?” 

“Soak em!” They cried and David felt himself being pulled once again, into a swarming mass of boys running at a single point. He really needed to get himself into a better situation. 

Vaguely, he noted the man he met earlier, Denton, taking notes on what was happening. _At least he meant what he said,_ David thought. As he snapped his attention back to what _was_ in front of him, the small group of boys, maybe around ten of them had gathered to collect newspapers.

The much, much larger crowd however, blocked the exit. When the first boy who grabbed a newspaper came down the rickety steps, Jack raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. The boy almost immediately threw down his paper and joined the crowd, the newsboys cheering. After that, every single boy threw down their papes to join Jacks side, and David was praying nothing ended in violence. Unfortunately, not every prayer was answered. The last boy stood defiantly in front of Jack. 

“Is he a Newsie or what?” Race called mockingly and the boy scowled before taking off his cap. One of the Newsies shoved him as David tried to calm everyone down.

“Now Jack, just don’t-“

Before David could say anything, Jack slapped the papes out of the scabs hand and crossed his arms over his chest in defense. He felt bad for ignoring Davey but nobody was gonna listen to them if they didn’t take action. 

David sighed loudly next to Jack, he knew where this was going. The scab bent down to pick up his papes but brefore he did, he rammed his body into Jack, making his topple over. Pain exploded in his chest as the Newsies erupted into chaos at this, kicking over and tearing newspapers. David had never seen such a group of impulsive people, but once they got started one something you couldn’t really ever stop them. Weasel and the Delancey brothers tried to yell at everyone, but we’re shut up quickly when balls of paper and dirt were thrown at them. There was fruit being thrown as well, and David couldn’t fathom where they had even had that laying around. Denton was definitely going to get a good story from this. 

Jack was tearing up newspapers along with the other boys, Race and Mush kicking over stack after stack before he heard the too familiar whistle pierce through the air. 

He froze and immediately sought Davey's eyes. 

Cops. 

Immediately, Jack yelled at the Newsies to scram, and the crowd of boys took off through the gates, papes flying wildly behind them. As jack ran away, he laughed, glancing back quickly. However the sight made him stop dead in his tracks, heart beating rapidly. He saw the cops surround a limping Crutichie, and watched helplessly as Oscar and Morris dragged him into a small ally way. He felt anger creeping in and he started back, before he felt a hand on his shoulder pulling him along. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t get arrested himself. 

He cursed as he ran away. He should have done something, something to help, anything... he then turned to Davey. 

“Hey Davey?” Blue eyed blinked back at him owlishly. 

“Yeah Jack?” 

Jack stared darkly ahead. “You wanted to know what the refuge is? I’ll show ya. Tonight. Meet me at the lodging house after sunset.” 

David peered at him curiously but didn’t say anything. 

That night, Jack and Davey walked alone in the now silent streets, the crowds of people dissipated and the houses silent with the moon. 

“So here it is,” Jack called to the slightly shorter boy next to him. “The good ‘ole refuge. My home sweet home.” 

Davey stepped closer to him in the night, glancing up at the looming building. “How can you be sure Crutchie is here?” 

Jack scoffed. “How can I be sure the Delanceys stink? It’s just the way things are. An orphan gets arrested, Snyder makes sure they get sent straight here.” 

David once again looked at him curiously with his disarmingly blue eyes. 

“He rehabilitates them… the more kids in the refuge, the more money the city sends, the more Snyder puts in his own pocket.” 

David didn’t say anything to that as Jack stepped closer to the tall iron gates. “How come you brought the rope?” Before Jack could answer, thunderous footsteps approached them, noise bouncing off the wall. Jack immediately grabbed Davey's hand, pulling him into a dark corner away from the people nearing them. David fell forward, almost but not quite tripping into the taller boy as the footsteps grew louder.  
He prayed Jack was focused on the footsteps, on the rope digging into his back, on anything besides the fact that David was almost chest to chest with him, thankful that the utter darkness covered his warm, panicking face. 

“Hey Davey?” Jack whispered after the footsteps passed, breath barely curling around David’s ear. He felt Jacks hand grip his side.

“Yeah?” David whispered back, anticipation of an unknown thing rising greatly. 

“Youse standin’ on my toe.”

  
David blinked, mortified. “Oh, _shit.”_ David let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. “I, um. sorry I didn’t mean to! I couldn’t see anythi-“ 

He felt Jack giggle slightly at his nervousness. “Well I’ll be darned Davey, did you just _curse?_ I must be a bad influence.” 

_Oh you have no idea,_ David thought. They were still standing in the dark corner, and seemed to realize it at the same time too. David got up first, awkwardly using Jacks chest as a leverage, and then Jack stepped out into the pale light, who stopped suddenly realizing that Davey's hat was crooked from their hastiness. So he reached down and gently straightened it, David once again looking at him curiously. _Damn those eyes._

“What are you doing?” 

“Relax Davey I’m fixing ya cap. Wouldn’t want people getting the wrong idea now would we,” Jack winked at him.

David’s mouth gaped like a fish as he felt a blush spreading across his face. _Did he? Did I-_

“Oh and Davey?” Jack bumped shoulders with him. “You weren’t standing on my toe.” 

Davey's reaction was absolutely priceless, his mouth dropping open once again and nose scrunching up in outrage. “Jack Kelly I swear I’m going to-“ 

Jack snickered quietly before attempting to shush the blue eyed boy. It didn’t work. Jack instead took Davey’s hand and quickly lead him through the gate.   
  


The feeling of Jack’s hand pressed against his shut David up pretty quickly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack realizes a few important things about his feelings towards David - but there has to be a catch somewhere right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy I’m back! And wow am I taking my sweet time to write this so sorry about that! But here’s the fourth chapter, hope you enjoy

When Jack told David to climb on the roof of the large refuge building and lower him down, his first instinct was to protest very loudly. Unfortunately Jack was still clinging onto his hand so he really had no choice in the matter. 

David also found that being responsible for someone hanging off the side of the building was the most terrifying, and quite literally, heaviest thing he’s had to deal with in a while. After he initially lowered him down, he heard Jack's voice lightly drift up from where he was, and assumed he was talking to Crutchie on the other side. He couldn’t make out what they were saying though, and found he was glad to give them some privacy anyway. 

As Jack was being lowered down, the cowboy tried to act nonchalant, even though the ground loomed below him quite menacingly, and he prayed that Davey’s strength held. As he told two of the younger boys inside the barred room to go get Crutchie, he felt an odd sense of…. _oh_ he didn’t know the feeling. He felt as though he was watching someone else hang off the side of the prison he hated so much. Crutchie was a great distraction from that however, and smiled at Jack warmly, even though the bitter feeling of the prison pressed down on them. 

“Hiya Jack!” Crutchie whispered happily. Jack grinned lightly. “Hey crutchie. How’s it in there?” 

“Oh ya know. Same old same old. Home sweet home.” They snorted at that, Crutchie looking outside curiously to see how he got up there. 

“Oh!” Jack remembered. “Daveys up on the roof. Holding me up and all.” 

“Hiya Dave!” Crutchie called but no answer came. Jack assumed they blue eyed boy couldn’t hear them.

“So Jackie boy. Dave huh?” Jack furrowed his eyes. “What about Davey?”

“Oh c’mon Kelly we all knows youse got eyes for ‘im.” Jack felt a blush creep up his neck. 

“I don’t - I’m not. You know I’m over that crutchie. If the refuge taught me one thing, it’s that.” 

Crutchie raised one eyebrow. “Yeah okay Jack. Just know, there’s nothing wrong if you wanna smooch the guy a little-“ 

Jack groaned in embarrassment. He could never truly lie to crutchie, but that’s not what they were here for! “Yeah, yeah okay. But like just a little, not _that_ much.” 

“Well have fun with that, cowboy, youse very adventurous I’m sure with all that little bit of kissin’.” 

Jack rolled his eyes, smiling, mind catching up to reality. “C‘mon crutchie lets get you outta here.”

The said Newsies face fell at that. “I would Jack but my legs, well it’s not been so good. The Delanceys knocked me around pretty hard. And you know I don’t want nobody to carry me.” 

Jack nodded in compliance, understanding where he was coming from, although he regretted not being able to help. But before he could say his goodbyes, the two boys from earlier ran in with a panicked look on their face. 

“Aw shit it’s the spider. I gotta go cowboy.” Crutchie looked back at him. “Have fun with ya strike an all that, and go get ya Davey.”

With that the curtains to the window drew tight and Jack yanked on the rope twice, a signal for David to pull him up. Davey grabbed him by the coat once he was near and hauled him over, breathing heavy. “Jesus Jack, could you have taken any longer? You’re not exactly light.” 

Jack scowled mockingly “hey,” he cried in defense, but grinned at the slightly shorter boy next to him. “Let’s get outta here.” 

The two newsboys walked silently home, hands brushing occasionally as they walked. And as Davey started up his rickety fire escape, he waved down to Jack shyly, before disappearing in the night. 

_Yeah,_ Jack thought. _His Davey sounds pretty good.  
  
_

The next morning was oppressively hot. The humidity pressed down on the streets like an anvil, heat making tensions especially high between everyone. The newsboy crowd was once again gathered outside of the green gates, and this time, there was an even larger crowd of scabs to take care of. David realized with a sinking heart it was a _much_ larger crowd, and he knew Jack wasn’t going to take well to it. 

“C'mon ya grafters cross the line,” Race said impatiently, and David couldn’t help but agree. He sensed Jack rolling up his sleeves next to him. 

“Okay everyone,” David said, slightly nervous. “Remain calm.” He looked at Jack for a period of time, anxiously waiting his next move. 

“Let’s soak em for crutchie!” He yelled loudly, and David rolled his eyes, now expecting the surging crowd enveloping him. He sighed and eventually tagged after the group of boys, decidedly not caring anymore. If he was going to do this, he needed to go all the way. However “all the way” included fighting, and David found out that he couldn’t fight. Couldn’t even throw a single punch, and yet against every fiber in his body, jumped into the fray of fighting. Real smart, Jacobs. 

The group of Newsies chased the scabs to a wooden gate, who were banging on it frantically. David found that strange, considering even the smaller group of scabs put up a fight. And yet this group just ran. He heard Races cry of victory turn to outrage when the gates opened, and a massive group of men came out - dressed at newsboys but carrying weapons. He looked back to see if the crowd of boys could escape, but found out however, the green gates they came through were sealed shut. 

“Jack..” his voice was too soft. “Jack! It’s a trick!” He scanned the crowd for the cowboy and eventually his eyes landed on him being backed slowly into a circle by one of the Delancey brothers where the vicious scabs were, some of Jack’s Newsies trying to distract them. He ran to him on impulse and joined the fight, and hey, he might as well learn how to punch right?

When he finally got to Jack, he grabbed his shoulders, pushing him out of the way of the menacing brother, who he now realized was Morris. Morris isn’t exactly what you would call threatening, but the metal chain he held in his hands sure was. Suddenly David felt someone grab his arms and rip him off Jack, now left alone in the circle. 

“Jack!” He tried to call out but instead cried out in pain as an elbow was blown into his temple. 

Not a second later he felt something whiz past his ear and strike the taller man who had grabbed him between the eyes. He looked up in confusion to see Spot Conlon standing on the roof of a close neighboring building. 

“Not bad, Mouth.” David smiled through the slight throb in his head and waved, cheering at the surprise. All of a sudden, many things were flying past and hitting the fake newsboys in the head.

“It’s Brooklyn!” Mush screamed out in excitement, and the newsboys of Manhattan cheered, finally being able to fight back as they for the lack of better terms, kicked ass. David even punched someone, and decided that it was going to be his last. With the swarm of Brooklyn now driving back the fake newsboys, they pushed them all the way through the wooden gate they come from, cheers erupting as they were victorious. 

David ran to Jack, laughing as the taller boy tore up a pape and grinned at him, smile like a thousands suns, David melting under it becauseit was all pointed at _him_. 

“Davey!” He cried out, throwing his arms around the slightly shorter boy in a hug. “We did it!” David laughed, still clinging to him. “Yes we did!” Jack pulled away slightly to look at the boy, his Newsies starting to form a circle around them. 

David was blinking openly at him, owlish eyes crinkled in a smile and red dusted over his face. From this distance, Jack realized how many freckles Davey had, and gained a strong urge to trace them. He wasn’t exactly sure why he thought of that, especially now, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He instead squeezed the boys upper arm slightly in thanks.

David felt his face heat up as soon as Jack enraptured him in a hug, slightly sweaty, which usually would gross him out but his smile with his stupid dimples was too close and his collar was too open and- 

“Boys! Jack! Freeze!” Denton somehow wound up in the crowd and had a huge camera pointed right at them. David felt Jack snake a hand around his waist and pull him closer before a blinding flash went off, and the picture was taken. David’s side burned for the rest of the day, and he couldn’t say he minded.   
  


Everything after that was a complete blur. David remembered really good food that Denton paid for and a long drawn out speech from Race about how they were the kings of New York, whatever that meant; he decided he didn’t care enough to question it.

“So let’s have some ideas,” Jack said loudly over the commotion of the restaurant. The newsboys were all surrounding a large table, and David leaned in grinning, saying “Well, we gotta show people where we stand.” 

Jack nodded. “So we gosta stay in the papes.” 

“My pape is the only one printing strike news at the moment.” Denton added. A slow smile spread across Jacks face. “So we should do somethin’ so big that the otha papes will feel stupid ignorin’ us.” 

David grinned at his sentiment, and the fact that Jack’s accent most _definitely_ got worse when he’s excited. “Like a rally,” David finished and Jack grinned at him once again. 

“Exactly. A huge rally with all the kids from New York. From all ova. We’ll make it the biggest, loudest blowout anyone has ever seen. They can’t ignore us then.” The boys cheered to that. 

“There’s a lot of us, and we ain’t goin’ away. We’ll fight until damn doomsday until we get a fair shake.” 

David grinned, and spoke up. “Hey guys! To our man Denton!” Denton sheepishly smiled as the boys cheered to him, the boys chatting lightly, that is until Race fell off the table trying to do a tap dance routine and they had to carry him to the lodging house. 

That night, the old man was examining a wooden sign Specs had made for the strike, when Snyder appeared at the front counter. The old man looked over in shock, and walked over. A good sized group of the newsboys gathered silently behind the Warden and peered curiously at the situation unfolding.

“Excuse me,” the old man said. “Can I help you?” 

Snyder stared eerily him for a moment. “Yes… I’m searching for a boy you have who calls himself Jack Kelly? I wish to see him.” 

The old man feigned innocence, and the group of boys let out a sigh of relief. “Jack Kelly? Jack-“ the old man shrugged. “Neva heard of him.” He then turned to the anxious boys waiting behind the Warden. 

“Any a you boys heard of Jack Kelly?” 

All the boys shook their heads. Specs shrugged, biting back a laugh. “that’s a real unusual name for these parts.” 

Almost in perfect timing, the cowboy himself walked through a side door into the lodge. Thankfully, it was out of Snyder’s sight, but Mush quickly slapped a hand over Jacks mouth before he could call a greeting, and shook his head. 

“OH you mean Jack Kelly!” Race said loudly, and very pointedly. “Yeah he was here.” Scratching his head he walked over to the Warden. “But uh, he put an egg in his shoe, and beat it.”  
The boys lost their resolve at this and snickered loudly. Race put on a smug grin, and directed Snyder’s attention to the opposite end of the room, allowing Jack the few seconds he needed to slip past. Heart beating wildly, Jack was right behind Snyder, grinning madly. 

Snyder continued. “I have reason to believe that he is an escaped prisoner, possibly dangerous.” 

The old man once again acted surprised, “Well I had better look at my files then.” Jack would have to thank him later for covering for him. Walking right up behind Snyder he clasped a hand over his chest and feigned surprised. Race had to bang on the staircase hard to keep from laughing. 

“Come this way please,” the old man waved once and Jack took that as his signal to run. As he did, the Warden turned around. Luckily, Mush and Kid Blink raised large signs with ‘strike’ and ‘rally’ on them so Snyder couldn’t see past. 

“Give to the Newsies strike fund mista?” Race asked as politely as he could. Snyder stared down beadily and slowly dropped a bit into Race’s hand. As the Warden left the building the whole group let out a collective sigh of relief, some cheering lightly. 

“Hey where did Jack go?” Someone asked. “Eh, said something about Davey’s. Prolly just stay there.” Mush said, and the boys shrugged at that, settling in for the night.

Jack was definitely not settling, in fact he was quite lost. It was easier to get to Davey’s when he was actually with him, however the time searching and it gave him a lot of time to think. He was just glad Davey wasn’t there for the interaction that just took place, as much as Jack played it off like a joke. 

Finding the tall building eventually, he climbed up the rickety fire escape and sat down. He thought about going in, eventually he deciding not to, as he didn’t want to intrude or overstep. Besides he knew Davey and Sarah shared a room, so he didn’t want to disturb Sarah. Eventually he fell asleep against the cold railing of the stairs.   
  
When the sun finally rose, he was awoken by a soft “Did you sleep out here all night?” he looked up and saw Sarah leaning against the window, lace of the curtain delicately placed over her chest in modesty. Jack smiled, although she wasn’t the Jacobs he wanted to see.

”Well, I didn’t wanna disturb nobody. Besides it’s nice out here. Great view.” He pointed to the brick wall across from them and she giggled. “Go up on the roof for me?” 

He nodded and started up the fire escape next to the window. When he got up there he spotted a bunch of wooden furniture, scattered slightly, with many pots of vegetables and fruits growing. There was a long clothing line as well, swaying slightly in the morning breeze. Jack paced slightly, nervous in the fact he didn’t want to hurt Sarah’s feelings too much, especially if she tried something on him. He just... didn’t see her like that. Maybe he could have, but not anymore.  
  
He heard some slight clamoring before Sarah’s head popped up from the ladder as she gracefully swept over the ledge onto the roof. “I grabbed you some breakfast, I hope you’re hungry,” She said, as he sat down at one of the old wooden tables. Sarah plucked a cloth from the clothing line and set it neatly down.

As they began to eat, Sarah grinned at him. ”Papa is so proud of you and David. You should hear him talking about the famous Jack Kelly, the union leader who occasionally eats with us.” Jack grinned sheepishly and looked down. 

“Well this is one union leader who will be glad when it’s all over.” Sarah quirked her head for him to continue. “As soon as it’s done, I’m outta here, on to Santa Fe. There’s nothing for me to stay for anyway.” He glanced back at Sarah, who was looking at him quizzically. 

“You should see Santa Fe,” Jack rambled on, feeling foolish. “Everything is bigger there, the desert, the sun, the sky.” At his words, Sarah got up suddenly and walked over to the small ledge, hair flowing softly in the breeze. He worried he upset her before she spoke, lightly and chiding. 

“Oh Kelly, we all know I wouldn’t be the one who you take to see your Santa Fe.” Now it was Jack’s turn to look at her questioningly. “And besides, it’s the same sun as here. Same moon too.”   
  
Jack just stared at her, knowing she was hinting at something, but couldn’t quite catch it. She shook her head, almost in disappointment. “I should get ready for work.”   
  
“Sarah?” Jack called, and she turned to face him once more. “I’m just not used to having wether I go or stay matter to anybody. And I- I guess I just want to ask, does it? Does it matter to anybody? To you?”   
  
Sarah grinned at him with knowing eyes once more. “Jack, I’m not the one you should be asking.“ Jack started to speak but she cut him off. 

“But if you would ask him, I think you might get your answer.” Jacks mouth opened and closed in shock. _Oh._ Walking over to the ladder, she started to turn around once more, but before she could fully disappear down the fire escape she called back. 

  
“Oh and Kelly? Break his heart and I’ll kick your ass all the way to Santa Fe for you.” 

Jack laughed in shock, slightly higher pitched than he intended, and with that, Sarah disappeared once more, and Jack was left alone with the swaying clothing line, feeling swept up in the wind himself. 

  
Jack came to find it was a lot harder to get hundreds of Newsies into a theater than he imagined. Luckily, Jack had David at his side to coral them all, and along with Spots temper it worked after a while. That whole day, Davey had been on his mind, especially after his encounter with both Crutchie and Sarah. Could Davey really.... no it was impossible. None the less, those piercing blue eyes had come up in his thoughts more than he cared to admit.   
  
That night however, Jack was able to focus on what was at hand. As he followed Spot onto the big stage, Davey trailing behind him, he felt a smile pull at his face just by the sheer energy of the crowd.   
  
Jack waved excitedly at the newsboys in the blinding light as he tried to calm them down, the noise settling. After it got semi silent he shouted “Carrying the Banner!” And once again, the Newsies jumped up and shouted, waving signs and raising fists.  
“So!” Jack called over the noise as it once again fell. “We’ve come a long way. But we ain’t there yet. And maybe it’s only gonna be tougher from here on out, but that’s fine! We’ll just get tougher with it!” Whistles sounded out at that and Spot clapped his hands. _One thing Jack Kelly was absolutely phenomenal at, was pep talks,_ David thought.   
“But also, we gosta get smart, and start listening to Davey!” Cheering rose up at that and David blushed, Jack putting an arm around him in reassurance. “Who says to stop soakin’ the scabs.”   
The cheering turned into muttering at that and David looked at Jack nervously. 

“Well whatta we supposed to do to tha bums? Kiss em?“ Race yelled and the crowd laughed, Jack rolling his eyes. Spot chose this moment to be oh so helpful and say, “Hey look, Kelly, any scab I see, I soak em. Period.”

“No!” David cried to settle the crowd down. “That’s what they want us to do! If we get violent, it’s just playin’ into their hands!”

”Hey it’s my hand they’re gonna be playin’ with!” Spot said defiantly. “Because it ain’t what they say, it’s what we say. And nobody is gonna listen to unless we make ‘em.” Spot glared up at David as the crowd cheered at that.

“You got no brains!” Jack yelled over the commotion. “We’re starting to fight each other, that’s just what they wanna see! That were street rats, street trash with no brains, no respect for nothin’ including ourselves!” The boys shut up pretty quickly at that.

“So here’s how it is,” Jack continued. “If we don’t act together, we’re nothin’.” If we don’t _stick together,_ we’re nothin’. And if we can’t even trust each other, then we’re nothin’!” 

“Tell ‘em Jack!” Kid Blink called from the balcony and some boys whistled in encouragement. Jack looked into the audience he had and found them staring back with intensity. “So what’s it gonna be?” He asked quieter.  
Race took his cigar out of his mouth and called out, “Okay we’ll listen to you Jack, we’re with you,” and Davey would laugh at how easily these boys were swayed if it wasn’t somewhat serious.   
  
“So what’s it gonna be?” Jack turned to Spot. The said Newsie smirked up at the cowboy. “I say that what you say, is what I say.” And with that, the two leaders spit and shook, which David of course cringed at. _Gross_.   
The newsboys cheered at their agreement, but when the curtains behind them were flung open and Medda strutted out, they went absolutely insane, caps flying in all directions as she started singing, the boys trying their best to join in.  
Spot, Jack and David all sat down in seats at the front of the theater as swarms of boys jumped up and whooped at the beautiful blonde. David grinned as Jack looped an arm around his, leading him to where Sarah was sitting, which came as a surprise to David, not having even noticed her presence. Sarah waved at Jack energetically, winking at him knowingly.

David felt a pit of jealously streak through him at the interaction, which is _completely_ ridiculous, why would he be jealous? Oh damn it, he _knew_ why. Swallowing around a slight lump in his throat he let go of Jack’s arm, the newsboy shooting him a curious glance as they all sat down.  
Before Medda could finish her song, Jack leaped up from his chair and glided to her, leading her to the center of the stage, and David almost snorted at that, frustrated, because how _typical_ of Jack to want to be in all the attention. The song ended and the boys cheered once more, David clapping before he saw something, or rather someone creeping at the edges of the theater, eyes trained on Jack. Quickly getting up, David forced his way through the crowd, grabbing Jack to pull him around. 

“Jack!” Screw his frustration, Jack needed to get out of here.   
Jack turned around and grinned wildly, making David almost forget why he came over. “Hey Davey!”   
“Jack, it’s Snyder!”   
Jack shook his head, obviously not being able to hear him. So David grabbed him by the coat and yanked him so he could yell in his ear, “ _it’s Snyder!”_  
Jack pulled back from David, face falling in understanding, and _oh_ David should not be this close to him, Jack within inches of his face, looking slightly over David’s shoulder to scan for the Warden. Quickly kissing Medda goodbye and in thanks, Jack grabbed David’s hand and yanked him through the crowd, shoving people out of the way. Almost instantaneously, officers blowing whistles came through the heavily decorated doors, holding a variety of different baseball bats menacingly. 

Immediately the newsboys scattered, Medda helping them escape quickly, Jack and David doing the same for the younger ones who didn’t know what was going on.   
“C’mere Sullivan!” An officer shouted, grabbing for Jack, but the cowboy was too quick and scampered up a staircase which David hot on his heels.   
Grabbing Jacks coat once again, he pointed, “Go, go up there!” Jack shook his head, still clinging onto David hand. “No, over here!” They dashed a little ways, but was stopped by the sight of Snyder in front of them. David’s eyes widened and he turned back to Jack. He spotted a swing that Medda had used not minutes before, and David decided to put it to good use. 

“Push me!” He yelled at Jack, who just stared at him quizzically. “What?”   
“Push me!” He said again as he sat down, thankfully Jack deciding not to argue with him. Just as Snyder lunged for the two, Jack pushed David, and the blue eyed boy couldn’t help but think this would have a totally different context if we wasn’t kicking an obsessive Warden in the nose. 

Knocking Snyder back, David turned to Jack, grabbing at him once more. “Go! Get outta here!” Jack hesitated for just a moment before sprinting back out into the crowd. Turning to face the Warden once again, he held the swing like a bat, but before Snyder could grab him, four Newsies jumped up and stood around him. David had never been so thankful for the defiance of the people he now could consider friends.

Snyder however was grinning madly, watching as a crowd of policemen chased Jack down, who was scrambling all over the place. He finally leaped up onto a balcony and down the stairs, where Kid Blink helped him out the door. Outside however, he was greeted with a whole line of officers on horses, and some mean looking ones at that.   
Jack tried to go around one of them but was stopped pretty quickly, horse reading backwards, as he forced to turn back inside, however when he glimpsed back he saw Kid Blink being put in cuffs. His frustration began to grow at this, but he tried to keep his cool, as many of the officers on horses followed him inside.   
  
Racing up a staircase he looked down for a split second before up again, immediately having his face meeting someone’s fist. He cried out as he was knocked completely backwards, into the group of officers who immediately grabbed him. His head throbbed as his vision went blurry.   
  
David cried out as he saw Jack get knocked backwards, and was the first one up the stairs, trying to grab at him, his coat, his hand, _something,_ but was unable to. Jack’s vision slowly began to go black, last thing he remembered was reaching out to grab Davey and staring into his panicked blue eyes. 

  
When Jack awoke next, he was sat in a chair, metal pulling at his wrists uncomfortably. He groaned as he realized he was handcuffed, the police officer behind him glaring down menacingly. He heard some loud clamor that made his head throb, but smiled lightly when he heard the group of newsboys file into what appeared to be a courtroom.   
  
“All rise, all rise, court is now in session.” _Hold up, court is what? “_ Judge E.A Monhan presiding.”   
Jacks vision focused on a tall man in a gown sitting down slowly as the newsboys crowded around the bench.   
  
The said judge looked back at the boys questioningly. “Are any of you represented by council?”   
Jack thinks he heard Spot ask Race what a council is, and bit his lip to refrain from laughing. “No? Good, that will speed things along.”   
  
Now Jack definitely heard Spot. “Your Honor, I object!” The judge raised his eyebrows at this. “On what’s grounds?”   
  
“On the grounds of Brooklyn, Your Honor.” Race snorted into Spots neck to contain his laughter. 

The judge slammed his gavel again the dark wood of his bench. “I fine each of you five dollars! Or two weeks of confinement in the House of Refuge.”   
  
”Ha! Your Honor I don’t got five dollars! I don’t got _five cents!_ Hey how about I roll ya for it? Double or nothin’?”Race said and the boys laughed, but before the judge could respond, Denton came through the door with David.

“I’ll pay the fines, for all of them. Boys, meet at the restaurant after this is over. We need to talk.” The group nodded, and David walked up to them, Jack being able to sense his anxiousness from where he sat.” Guys where’s Jack?” 

“Pay the clerk! Move it along,” the judge ordered as Jack felt the officer behind him force him to stand. “Hey fellas!” He said, trying to sound upbeat. Denton and David moved towards him, relief washing over David’s face.   
“Hey Denton, I guess we made all the papes now, how did my picture look?” Jack asked cheekily, but Denton didn’t answer right away. “None of the papes printed the rally. Not even the Sun.”   
  
Jack froze at this, but before he could respond, the bailiff read aloud the case. “Case of Jack Kelly; inciting to riot, assault, resisting arrest...” Jack was lead up to where the judge sat as each word read cut through him. He wanted to protest, to be near Davey as it was read aloud, for some comfort, but was unable to say anything. Then he heard an all too familiar voice speak up from the back of the courtroom. 

”Your Honor, I’ll speak for this young man.” Half the boys in the room froze at the eerie voice, and _h_ _ow does he even sneak up like that?_

“Oh you two know each other? That’s nice.” Jack said sarcastically. David peered curiously at Jack, confusion wrapped around his face. Then the Warden spoke, and hurt slowly took over instead, changing his features into something Jack never wanted to see again. 

“This boys real name is Francis Sullivan. His mothers deceased, his father is a convict in the state penitentiary.” With each word being said, David felt his heart sink lower. _This can’t be right..?_

Then he caught Jack’s pleading eyes, and he knew, he _knew_ it was. _Liar!_

But the Warden wasn’t done yet. “He’s an escapee from the House of Refuge where his original sentence of three months was extended to six for disruptive behavior.“ 

Jack tried to get Davey too look at him from across the room, but found those blue eyes he loved looking anywhere but at him, hurt spiking through his features, and that hurt Jack most of all. 

Jack tried to speak up, “Disruptive behavior? Like demanding we eat the food you steal from us?”   
  
”Followed by an additional six months after an another attempted escape.” Jack felt anger rise with in him, why couldn’t people just _see? He needed to make Davey understand, to look at him-_

 _“_ Last time wasn’t an attempted escape, _Snyder_. Don’t you remember Roosevelt and the carriage, remember Roosevelt and the carriage?” His voice cracked at the end of it, but he didn’t care, he just needed them, he needed Davey, to say it was gonna be _okay._

The judge paused at this, before speaking loud and clear. “We deem it necessary that Francis Sullivan be incarcerated until the age of 21, in the hope to guide him to a productive life.” 

Jack finally allowed his head to drop at these words, willingly being lead out of the courtroom, desperately searing for David’s face, only to catch a glimpse of cold blue eyes staring his way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sarah redemption arch? Yes.


End file.
